Oana Petrovschi: An ace up Belu’s sleeve

Original article was published on October 22nd in Gazeta Sporturilor

16-year old Oana Petrovschi won two gold medals at the French Grand Prix, prompting coach Octavian Belu to tell the French press this proves once again that great champions are born in Deva. Oana's unexpected star-making performance confirmed Romania’s place as a world power in gymnastics. Upon her arrival, Oana Petrovschi agreed to talk to Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor about the importance of the medals she won.

GS: Oana, did you expect this performance?
OP: I couldn't say I was scared, but these medals mean a lot to me because I managed to win them ahead of well-known gymnasts.
GS: Do you think the medal you won on bars gives us hope that we finally managed to get over our complex on this event?
OP: I think it’s a start. In order to completely get over this bars complex, we would have to stay on top from now on as well. But I believe everything’s possible.
GS: Could you have done better on floor?
OP: I don’t know what I should say exactly. Maybe I could have done better. But I’m still happy with this result.
GS: Do you think it will be more difficult [to win medals] come Worlds?
OP: Infinitely more difficult. Let’s not forget the American team did not come to Paris, and they’ll play an important role in Debrecen. But I think we can do well in Hungary, especially since I’ll be alongside Andreea Răducan, and I hope to rise to her level.
GS: Do you think you could have had the same results if the American team had competed in Paris?
OP: Maybe. I’m in excellent shape and I hope to keep it up. We’re already approaching the big finish [before Worlds]. In Debrecen we’ll have to prove our hard work hasn’t been for naught.

At the end of the meet, Octavian Belu talked to the French press about the “secret recipe” for success in Romanian gymnastics, and took advantage of the opportunity to vent about the lack of discipline yet again. “In general, the girls who cannot follow the strict program can become pop stars, for instance, but under no circumstances can they be world-class gymnasts. This training regime holds true in Romania, as well as Africa or the North Pole,” Belu was quoted in Evenimentul Zilei . The national team head coach was reportedly unhappy with the personal questions asked by the French press who wanted to know if the gymnasts had boyfriends and whether they were sexually active.
He also added he was unhappy with the current training methods. “People’s mentality has shifted with political changes [n.a. fall of communism], and I was expecting numerous acts of indiscipline. It’s just not possible to stay out clubbing until 3 am and go back to training at 7 in the morning without suffering health problems. Gymnastics is a sport of concentration and any fraction of a second where you lose focus could cause serious injuries. In any case, Romania has a good junior team, so the future is almost assured.”

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